MotorLand Aragon heralds the return of WorldSBK for the first of two compelling back-to-back rounds
With a large portion of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season taking place on European soil, the first venture out west is always a good indication of how a championship may unfold. Riders find their feet, teams have a good few months of development time behind them, and gaps in the standings can be opened… or closed.
Since 2013, the medieval town of Alcañiz has hosted the first race on the continent, MotorLand Aragon proving to be a true land of opportunity for title contenders, pretenders, rookies, veterans and starlets alike. But fortune favours those who seek it, and several riders will arrive at the Motocard Aragon Round aching for a potential season-defining moment.
The first opportunity lies in the hands of the man who right now lays down the law of the land in World Superbike. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) returns home on a six-race-strong winning streak, having picked up two debut hat-tricks in Australia and Thailand. The rookie’s explosive run of form has shown no sign of abating: consecutive wins seven, eight and nine would push him on par with Neil Hodgson for the best start to a WorldSBK season, and there’s no better place to achieve that than at home. Top-10 finishes in MotoGP™ in Aragon for four different manufacturers would seem to spell out a promising fate for Bautista’s first homecoming.
It feels odd to be mentioning history-making opportunities and not be referring to one of Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) latest exploits, but that has been the nature so far of the 2019 season.
But as they say, opportunity knocks at every man’s door, and the Northern Irishman has built much of his success on remaining cold and calculating through the toughest of times. MotorLand Aragon is not one of the four-time champion’s favourite tracks – in fact it’s one of just two on the 2019 calendar where he hasn’t achieved a double – but his focus will stay intact; Rea will be ready to pounce should the chance arise, as will teammate Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who took pole position last time out in Aragon (2015).
Finding opportunity in adversity is what separates the greats from the rest, and few have suffered more setbacks in recent months than Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Come Race 1 it will have been nearly a year since the Welshman’s last race win, which happened precisely at the Alcañiz circuit. Davies has built up a treasure trove of performances in Aragon, with seven hard-fought race wins and an additional three podiums. Can he conjure up some more MotorLand magic and add an eighth this weekend? It may arrive a bit early for the Brit in his personal adaptation to the V4 R, but
expect him to make several steps forward on his own road to redemption.
There was a certain sense of dèja-vu in Thailand as Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crossed the line in Race 2 in third and fourth, respectively, for the third time in a row; the same applies to independent standings runaways Marco Melandri and Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) in sixth and seventh. All four Yamaha riders have performed impeccably since Round One – in particular the Englishman, who has brought his superb pre-season form into the new season – but how much margin for growth is there? The first European showdown of the year could be an ideal moment to make that final step towards the top of the rostrum.
Another manufacturer looking for the final piece to the puzzle is BMW, although Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) should find it in the form of an engine upgrade scheduled for later in the season. In the meantime, both men can look to the past to find inspiration: the former World Champion secured a dominant double here in 2014, while his partner emerged victorious last season from Spain on the road to the 2018 STK1000 title.
Perseverance will be key for the BMW riders and much of the same can be said for the Moriwaki Althea Honda Team. Still recovering from a blameless crash in Thailand, at the moment Leon Camier will simply aiming to be on the grid in Spain. If the combative 32-year-old gets the go-ahead to race, expect him to keep on pushing the Fireblade to its limits, as the HRC-backed outfit continues seeking answers and finding its grove in 2019.
The European leg of the 2019 season kicks off at MotorLand Aragon this Friday, April 5th, with the first free practice sessions on Spanish soil! Qualifying on Saturday morning will be followed by Race 1 at 14:00LT (GMT+2), with the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 to follow on Sunday.
WorldSSP: The European battle begins at Motorland Aragón
Cluzel and Krummenacher arrive at the Aragon Round tied for the championship lead – but recent history could play in other riders’ favour
After two edge-of-your-seat races to kick off the year, MotorLand Aragon is ready to host the third race of the FIM Supersport World Championship. If the last few years are anything to go by, the Motocard Aragon Round could play a decisive role in the fate of this year’s championship race. The last four winners of the Spanish race have gone on to clinch the title later in the season – and in unfavourable news for the co-championship leaders, none of them entered Aragon at the top of the standings.
Two men have been the outstanding stars of the early stages of the World Supersport season. Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) proved to be utterly dominant in the first round at Phillip Island, following that up with a conquering comeback to second position at Buriram. But Krummenacher has always finished the second round at the top of the standings – can he keep up the pace at the third time of asking, after eventually falling back in both 2016 and 2018?\
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) meanwhile has enjoyed his best start to a WorldSSP season, sitting on 45 points alongside Krummenacher. The Frenchman was unshakeable in Thailand, fending off countless attacks from the riders preceding him, and seems determined to take the crown this year after last year’s dramatic finale. But MotorLand Aragon is a bit of a bogey circuit for the Frenchman, with three DNFs and a solitary podium in six races. Could Cluzel’s luck change for the better in 2019?
The men following them in the standings will be hopeful of extending the WorldSSP Spanish streak, starting with the man sat third in the standings. After two consecutive third-place finishes, Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) finds himself 13 points adrift, nonetheless also consolidating his best start to a WorldSSP season. The young Italian finished runner-up in Spain in 2018 and is the only rider to have led in both races this year. Caricasulo will certainly be in contention in every session.
The home fans will also have two strong contenders to rally on. Héctor Barberà (Team Toth by Willirace) and Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing) have both finished a race in fourth position in 2019 and are guaranteed to fight for the rostrum positions at a track which both men know to perfection, albeit not on World Supersport machinery.
The switch over to Kawasaki machinery may not have worked out yet for 2017 world champion Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), but the Frenchman will remain spirited and combative, seeking inspiration from his 2017 Aragonese win. Teammate Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) meanwhile will also continue pushing the limits of his ZX-6R, after two strong performances in Australia and Thailand.
Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) is seeking his first podium at the Spanish track, coming off a strong top-five performance in Thailand, while both CIA Landlord Insurance Honda representatives push to close the gap with their rival machinery.
The FIM European Supersport Cup riders will also make their first appearance on the calendar, with a former race winner in Kyle Smith (Team Pedercini Racing) joined by two French newcomers: Xavier Navand (DK MOTORSPORT) and Gaetan Matern (Flembbo Leader Team).
The third round of the World Supersport season gets underway on Friday 5th with free practice, followed by the Superpole on Saturday. On Sunday 7th it’s race time, with lights out at 12:15LT (GMT+2)\
WorldSSP300 returns with over 50 riders hungry for glory
Action-packed, fairing-to-fairing racing will be on display by the WorldSSP300 riders, who look set to continue making history
Since 2017, the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship has been a very welcome addition to the WorldSBK paddock, with 10 race winners and a further nine podium finishers in just two seasons of racing. This year over 50 men and women from 16 different countries and five continents will challenge for the WorldSSP300 crown, in the biggest season yet for the always exciting feeder series. Who will be the stars of the 2019 season? We will certainly look to gain a clear indication after MotorLand Aragon.
Reigning champion Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) is looking to kick
off her title defense in fine style at her home circuit – the Spaniard looking to make more history and become the first rider ever to win back-to-back WorldSSP300 titles, as well as looking to become the first female solo rider to do so. Carrasco has yet to achieve a podium placing at MotorLand Aragon, so whatever the result after the opening race, the championship looks set to come alive.
Tough opposition is led in the form of Marc Garcia (DS Junior Team), who returns to the 2019 line-up, looking to take back his crown he earned in 2017. Garcia failed to finish in Aragon in 2017 so will be looking to start his season strongly.
Previous race winners at MotorLand Aragon, Scott Deroue (Kawasaki MOTOPORT) in 2017 and Koen Meuffels (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) in 2018, will also be part of the battle again in Spain, with both showing great potential towards the close of 2018. Meuffels is hoping to give KTM a win in the class again, whilst Deroue will hope to head to the Netherlands a week later in fine form.
2018 championship runner-up Mika Perez (Scuderia Maranga Racing) will be hoping to improve his championship position this year and kick-start his title-tilt from MotorLand Aragon, where he has finished third for the past two seasons. South African rider Dorren Loureiro (Nutec – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) had a strong end to 2018 and has been eighth in the past two seasons at MotorLand Aragon, making him a protagonist at the sharp end.
Popular Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama (Semakin Di Depan Biblion Motoxracing) is leading the Yamaha charge and looking to secure a third class-victory in as many seasons. MotorLand Aragon will be a test for the 20-year-old, as he has never scored points at the venue before.
Other notable names include Borja Sanchez (Scuderia Maranga Racing), who is without a win in his WorldSSP300 career but has gathered three podiums. Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) also comes into the season as one of the potential front-runners, having ended his 2018 campaign with three third-places.
Riders will be split into two groups from Friday for Free Practice and Qualifying the following day, with the first-ever Last Chance Race taking place on Saturday afternoon. Then it’s lights out on Sunday at 15:15 LT (GMT+2) for the first time this season! Will MotorLand Aragon deliver again?
